With remarkable advances in computer technologies, automobile electronics devices such as a navigation system have become more popular and affordable recently for most users. The navigation system provides primary functions to determine a user's current position by utilizing signals from Global Positioning System (GPS), to provide optimum routing information between a vehicle's current position and a destination, and to perform a guidance operation to the destination. In order to perform the above-mentioned functions, the navigation system is usually equipped with a sophisticated navigation functionality implemented by navigation computer programs and one or more detailed database to store and provide maps, road networks, geographical features, and waypoint or point-of-interest (POI) information.
FIG. 1 shows display examples involved in a navigation system that describe steps of inputting an address of a desired destination, etc. In FIG. 1, a display example 2 shows a main menu screen through which a user selects a “destination” menu, and a display example 4 shows a list of methods for specifying the destination. Among the methods in the list, the user has selected an “address” method as highlighted in the display example 4. As a result of selecting the “address”, the navigation system displays an image of keyboard as shown in a display example 6 which prompts the user to input a street name, street number, etc. via the keyboard.
The interface between the user and the navigation system has been gradually transformed from a text-based communication as shown in FIG. 1 to a graphic-based communication which allows the user to intuitively operate the navigation system. However, in either of the communications, when the navigation system is installed in a vehicle, at least one hand of a driver (hereafter interchangeably referred to as “a user”) may have to be taken off the steering wheel and the user's eyes may have to be taken off the road on which the vehicle is running. Consequently, the interface inevitably increases the level of driver distraction and a chance of accident.
Not only the navigation system, a modern vehicle may also include other electronics systems such as an automobile entertainment system, a head unit, etc. The user may select a music title, an artist name, etc. for the automobile entertainment system in the manner similar to that of the navigation system noted above, which also increases the user's distraction from the driving. Therefore, there remains a need for a new and improved interface method and apparatus for the user to input information for a navigation system or other electronics system based on user's finger gesture when the user is driving a vehicle with two hands on the steering wheel.